Maltese Bichon

Description: The Maltese Bichon has a silky white coat that covers this small dog from the tip of its head down to its feet. This dog generally weighs around two to three kilograms and is definitely a dog that has a lot of quality and vigor. Its heads longitude is medium and in proportion with its body; it's slightly rounded on the top. Its ears are high up on its head underneath the zygomatic arch and they hang down and come into close contact with the lateral sides of the skull and they are covered in an abundant amount of hair. Its eyes are dark and round and the eyebrows are black as is the nose. They have a very fine nose and it narrows at the end but it should not look too pointy and it should be a medium length. The neck is long enough so that it looks like it holds its head up high. The Maltese Bichon body is compact, its back is leveled and its thorax is ample; its chest is somewhat wide. They have a long tail that they carry gracefully over their back. The coat of this dog is pretty simple because it doesn't have an undercoat. Its hair is long and straight and falls on both sides of its body literally down to the ground. When acquiring one, make sure its hair isn't brittle, curly, or furry to the touch. The color of this dog should be white although there are some that are lemon color or reddish around the ears.

Ideal owner:This dog looks like a porcelain doll and it is very intelligent and intuitive and carries itself in an aristocratic way. This dog can be considered the perfect companion, as it is sweet and obedient with its owner. Just as is true with all toydogs it is important to not spoil it and avoid allowing it to bite (they do this when they are nervous) The Maltese Bichon is very small but very fast inside the house so be very careful to not step on it accidentally. It is considered one of the most beautiful dogs and its coat is pretty resistant.

Growth:The weight of the Maltese Bichon varies at birth and it also varies as an adult, however the average weight is around 140 grams when it is born. Puppies are usually pretty light when they are born. The pigmentation of the nose and the eyelids starts to show little by little when it is born and should have completed its process at three or four weeks. Make sure to pick one that is well pigmented and that has a friendly and extroverted personality. This dog grows very quickly and usually reaches its full size around eight months and this is also when its adult hair starts coming in; this process should not be complicated however it will be necessary to brush its hair a lot when its changing. If you are the proud owner of one of these dogs make sure to keep an eye on its teeth and to take it to get dental check ups with regularity especially during the first year of its life. Retention of a tooth can bring about problems.

General health:The Maltese Bichon is actually quite an easy dog to take care of, however its hair does need special attention. If you own one make sure to brush its hair daily for about fifteen minutes. Since it doesn't have an undercoat it losses less hair than most people would expect and another great thing is that it does not have a tendency to get skin irritations and infections. However, a lack of pigmentation can be a problem. Probably the greatest problems that can occur to this breed is with their teeth such as inferior prognathism, badly aligned teeth, and chipped teeth are common as they age. Often times the baby teeth are retained and the affected areas need to be removed to avoid it from spreading; cavities are also common. Knee dislocation can also occur and can bring about big problems. There are reported cases of blindness as well as hypoglycemia. Many times owners will complain about constant tearing and this can be resolved through a surgery. This breed has a general life span of about thirteen years.